


the many loves of johnny storm

by akihiros



Category: Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Marvel 616, Spider-Man (Comicverse)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:48:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23252716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akihiros/pseuds/akihiros
Summary: Johnny is tired of moving on.
Relationships: Johnny Storm/Others, Peter Parker/Johnny Storm
Comments: 18
Kudos: 119





	the many loves of johnny storm

**Author's Note:**

> Potential warnings: mentions of Lyja and the whole mess that came with her; the rating is because of Daken (I swear I couldn’t do it any different even if I wanted to); a lot of Johnny feels and angst.
> 
> Thanks to my lovely [beta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/exogenesis/pseuds/exogenesis) for always doing an amazing job with my messy writing!

Johnny was fifteen years old when he met Dorrie Evans. She was his first time and his first love. The first few months were beautiful, almost like they were taken out of a fairytale. He had a pretty girlfriend who loved him back, he became a superhero, and he went on missions around the universe and the cosmos. 

In the end, it didn’t stay a fairytale. At all.

Dorrie got tired of him very quickly. She didn’t like that he was a superhero, or was always late for their dates, or far from home for too long. She even went on a date with another boy just to make Johnny jealous. It didn’t matter at the time, though—he understood what Dorrie was going through because of him. She was always in danger and it was Johnny’s duty to protect her from villains who wanted to hurt her.

She asked him not to flame on for an entire day even if she was in danger. And she also said he should be a nice guy like Peter Parker. Johnny never understood why she wanted him to like Peter. 

They tried to make the relationship work a few more times. She was his date to Sue and Reed’s wedding, but she got fed up of him being who he was and never answered his calls or replied to any of his messages. Dorrie simply disappeared.

So Johnny moved on.

–

Metro College. On the first day of freshman year, Johnny met Wyatt Wingfoot. It was like destiny was trying to tell them something. They both turned around and asked each other where they could find the dean's office at the same time. Johnny needed to look up to find the built man’s eyes. They were brown and soft, crinkling at the corners while he smiled.

Johnny felt like fainting—he was sure the man would had caught him mid-air and that would have been really romantic, but instead he complimented him, and he didn't feel so much like an idiot when the man’s smile became even bigger. His smile was like staring straight at the sun.

Johnny’s sure he felt actual butterflies inside his stomach every time Wyatt smiled at him or was a little bit more attentive with him when the guys picked on Johnny just for the fun of it. When Wyatt had defended Johnny one time, Whitey Mullins had called Wyatt his personal bodyguard. Johnny was mad, but he also felt all kinds of bubbles inside his stomach. Wyatt cared for him, and Johnny loved him so much he’d find a way to give him the moon.

Yes, Johnny loved Wyatt, as a friend and more.

–

Johnny didn't grasp the meaning of “love at first sight” until he met Crystal. 

It was like a rush. He instantly fell in love when he set his eyes on her for the first time. It was like fire, but not like when he flamed on. It was intense looking at her, his insides all warm and twisted, his heart beating hard, his chest full of love.

Johnny didn't feel joy the same way unless Crystal was by his side. She was part of his team, replacing his sister, and she was the love of his life. Everything was perfect. Johnny didn’t want anything else.

She also was the first person who broke his heart. He was deeply in love but Crystal had fallen for Quicksilver; it was like a dagger pierced deeply into his heart. He loved her dearly and he lost her. He had tried to keep her, but she loved another man and he had to respect that. Johnny wanted to feel happy for her when she became a mother, but he couldn't deny that he was bitter all over.

He moved on. Again.

–

Frankie Raye was completely scared of his flames. They both tried to pay it no mind and started dating the day they met. It was a mess; Reed released her from her hypnotic condition, she realized she had powers, she joined the Fantastic Four, and learned to control her powers. She became a superhero like all of them.

Then Galactus came and Frankie became his new herald to save the Earth, becoming Nova. And then she left.

Johnny loved her, but got over it very quickly. He moved on yet again.

–

This one was the hardest. To this day, Johnny wanted to forget it ever happened.

He fell in love with Alicia. He knew that was a low blow for Ben, but he couldn't help it. He couldn’t control what he felt, and he was sorry for that.

Johnny married Alicia. It was almost perfect, like a dream, but then she revealed she wasn't Alicia but a Skrull named Lyja, who was sent on a mission to infiltrate the Fantastic Four, but then really fell in love with him—or that’s what she claimed. Johnny felt miserable and completely abused. He almost lost his best friend and ruined his relationship with the real Alicia. He felt stupid, even though it wasn’t his fault.

Lyja lied to him again, telling him that she was carrying his child just because she wanted to manipulate him into staying with her. Stupidly, perhaps because Johnny might have still loved her, he believed in her, which was another terrible mistake. Ben hated him and Alicia couldn’t even look him in the eye. Lyja destroyed him.

Johnny knew it wasn't love, it never was, but the problem was he did feel love during his marriage and the rest of the scam. It had been a kind of love that made him feel miserable and uncomfortable. It was toxic and abusive. Johnny hated every single second of it. Maybe it was never really love. Maybe.

It was hard to move on, but he did. Kind of.

–

Since the first moment he saw him at the Baxter Building, after he violated every single security code Reed had installed, Johnny knew Daken was a synonym of danger. He was the son of Logan, the one who was working for Norman Osborn at the time as the new leader of the Avengers.

Daken wanted to betray Osborn by joining the Fantastic Four. He was creepy, made him itch, but Johnny was attracted to him anyway because he liked the adrenaline Daken made him feel.

And Daken answered his call. He made him feel vulnerable and Johnny let him. He used every single one of his charms on him, his ridiculous pick-up lines, the most seductive smirk, and Johnny had fallen for it. Daken was sarcastic, rude, untrustworthy and practically a villain, but he whispered sweet nothings in Johnny’s ear. And Johnny bought it. He _wanted to._

It wasn’t about feelings, it was just mindless sex. Or that was what Johnny said to himself while he opened his legs for the son of Wolverine, feeling overwhelmed and needy thanks to Daken’s touch, his body heat, and the shape of his hands hot on Johnny’s hips, thighs, neck and waist. Johnny remembered Daken’s mouth wet on his lips, cheeks and neck. And he loved every second of it.

He asked Daken to stay and he said yes, but Johnny knew he was lying. He didn’t care, he just whispered _harder_. It wasn’t love, Johnny repeated to himself, while out loud he was saying _faster_. Daken gave him everything he asked of him and he chanted _more, more, more_ until he could barely breathe anymore.

“You liked that?” Daken had asked, pressing his nose in Johnny’s hair, Johnny’s face against his pillow, his fists squeezing the sheets. One of Daken’s claws grazed the skin of his clavicle and he moaned. Johnny loved it.

Daken left the same night when his scent was still all over him, his bed and sheets. It wasn’t love for Daken, but maybe Johnny could try pretending it was.

–

Johnny died. And he came back after dying time and time again. And then he lost everything: his family, his home, Ben, his will to live. Johnny was a mess, his entire life was a tragedy, and another failed relationship just made Medusa another name on his list of failures.

He had been sad, alone, and lost, and Medusa was right there. And then she wasn’t, like everything in his life lately. Crystal hated him when she knew what was going on between him and her sister, and he wanted to ask why, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything at that point. The world was pure chaos: civil wars, inhumans and X-Men at war, everything falling apart.

His relationship with Medusa dissolved like it never happened. She dumped him to go back to her husband. He was sad, but he also didn’t care. He moved on.

–

There was always only one constant in Johnny’s life.

Johnny found Peter in the middle of his misery. He was rich now and he had bought the Baxter Building for everyone to remember who the Fantastic Four are—or were.

The thing was that Peter was always there. First he was his rival. Then he was his pal. Then his best friend. And finally, the one to whom he left his family and his spot on his team. Peter was always part of his life.

When Johnny looked at Peter when the big statue of his team— _his family_ —had been installed, he cried. He cried and cried until he was pressed against Peter’s chest and he felt he could drown.

And it was in that moment that he felt at home since he lost his family and Ben, and the only close person around him was Victor von Doom. Johnny clinged to Peter, he begged him to stay, because he was the only one left. He was really alone this time.

The Avengers Unity Division happened in a blur, and then it was time for the Red Skull to fuck with his mind. He wanted to harm Peter, the only thing that’s left from his life, and he tried to fight against it. He survived, but his heart was hammering inside his chest and he needed to know Peter was okay, even though his head hurt and he was tired.

“I love you,” Johnny said while they were peeling off their uniforms. Peter’s head appeared when the top of his suit finally relented, and his hair was sticking in every direction, his eyes open like a deer caught in the headlights. Johnny loved him so fucking much.

“Huh?” Peter muttered but Johnny was already close to him, too close, close enough to touch him. Peter caught his hands when he reached for his face, but didn’t push him away. Johnny felt like sobbing.

“I love you,” Johnny repeated, even though he knew Peter had heard him. And then his fingers were on Peter’s hair and their breaths were mixing between their mouths and everything felt right for the first time in a long time.

Peter didn’t kiss him like any of his past loves. He’s fierce, yes, but he also cared about Johnny, and he cared about making him feel good. Johnny didn't love him like he did any of his past loves. Because this  _ was _ love. This was what love was supposed to be. Real love was supposed to feel like when he went nova—full of emotions, about to explode, the freedom of letting go until he passes out, and— yes. This was it. God, this was finally it.

“Are you okay?” Peter asked him, leaning away to look at him. They were naked and Johnny felt good with Peter’s body between his legs. And yes, he was crying. Peter kissed his tears away. “Hey, Torchie, don’t cry. Please, don’t cry. Everything is going to be okay.”

“You already make everything okay,” Johnny answered in a whisper. He closed his eyes and pressed his face to Peter’s shoulder when he cradled his head in his hands.

“Johnny,” he said, “I love you, too.”

“Promise me you won’t leave me behind like everyone did,” Johnny said. Peter looked him in the eye, his fingers softly touching Johnny’s cheek, his eyelids, the corner of his mouth.

“Promise,” Peter said. And that was enough, because he knew Peter meant it. Johnny didn’t cry, but he was pretty close. He pressed his face against Peter’s chest and smiled, the first real smile since the universe collapsed and he lost everything. But he got this.

For the first time, Johnny didn’t need to move on. He was right where he was supposed to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are a welcome and a hug to the soul. I’m on twitter @SPIDEYT0RCH talking about comics and absolutely hating them.


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